


to the you who gives me pretty flowers

by 21byuns



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Language of Flowers, M/M, Meet-Cute, just soft and happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26042077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/21byuns/pseuds/21byuns
Summary: Jongdae thinks maybe on any other day he wouldn’t be so interested in anything happening outside his apartment door but today is not that day. There’s a new tenant across the hall from him moving in alone. He looks to be around Jongdae’s age and covered in tattoos and has dark red hair.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 9
Kudos: 73
Collections: EXO Home4U - 2020





	to the you who gives me pretty flowers

**Author's Note:**

> to the prompter: i rlly hope this at least meets some of ur expectations ;; it's probably not exactly what you were looking for but i hope you enjoy it <3 
> 
> to the mods: thank u for working with me and my need for an extension hhh, i really appreciate you guys and the effort you put into this fest. thank you <3 
> 
> title from [here](https://youtu.be/wfHcbz_Mf4E)

Jongdae thinks maybe on any other day he wouldn’t be so interested in anything happening outside his apartment door but today is not that day. There’s a new tenant across the hall from him moving in alone. He looks to be around Jongdae’s age and covered in tattoos and has dark red hair. 

He’s not a creep or anything… for the past hour or so he’s been debating on if he should offer to help but he’d been sitting there arguing with the voice inside his head for so long that the other guy had nearly finished moving everything in. So Jongdae glances out of the peephole every so often. 

It was nearing time for him to go to bed - which meant lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling for at least two hours before actually sleeping - when he takes one last glance through the peephole and sees a couple of flowers on the ground in front of his new neighbors closed door. Jongdae frowns. As a florist, he can’t bring himself to just leave the flowers on the ground to get trampled in the morning. He sighs and resigns himself to make sure he’s decent before opening his door and picking the Gloxinia flowers up.

He steels himself and his oddly thrumming heartbeat before knocking on his neighbors door. Jongdae definitely isn’t prepared for the face to face interaction not distorted through the fish-eyed peephole. If he thought the man was good looking before, nothing could compare to the sight in front of him. 

“I, uh,” he begins eloquently and his neighbor grins but it’s not smug. It’s a pretty grin. “You dropped these.” Jongdae wants to shake himself out of it. He’s never been the type to act so flustered so openly like this. 

Red-headed neighbor takes the flowers and smells them, eyes never leaving Jongdae’s and Jongdae can see the smile there in his eyes. He holds out a hand and when Jongdae looks down at it, he sees a snake tattoo curled around his wrist and stopping just above his thumb. He spies a little mole there and he’s not sure why it makes the man less intimidating but it does.

“Thank you for bringing them back to me,” he says while Jongdae shakes his hand. “I’m Baekhyun by the way. We’re neighbors now.” Baekhyun laughs a little and brings his hand up to smack his forehead. “You know that of course.”

Jongdae laughs, realizing he’s just as seemingly nervous as Baekhyun. “Sorry for not offering to help move things in.” He reaches a hand up and scratches the back of his neck. “I probably wouldn’t have been much help anyways. I’ve got weak arms.” Jongdae holds up an arm, poking at his bicep. “See? Wimpy.”

Baekhyun’s laughter is bright like his eyes and Jongdae immediately realizes he wants to hear it often. “Your arms actually look bigger than mine.” He squeezes Jongdae’s upper arm once, just lightly and lets out a small breathy laugh. “Who am I kidding, they’re definitely bigger than mine. What do you do for a living? Weight lifting? Boxing? Physical training?”

“I’m a florist actually,” Jongdae explains, “Not that intense, unless you count lifting bags of fertilizer and taking care of my cats, Min and Tan.”

His neighbor looks surprised, “You’re kidding right?” 

He shakes his head. “Nope, I know, it’s lame but it makes me happy and my shop does pretty well.”

“So these flowers,” Baekhyun holds them up, “They mean something right? I mean I read once that flowers have meanings. My friend gave them to me but I’m pretty sure he has no clue what flowers mean but his girlfriend probably yelled at him to give them to me as a ‘housewarming’ gift.”

Baekhyun’s nose scrunches when he talks and Jongdae looks elsewhere, not focusing on how this somehow tattooed and pierced guy could also double as a puppy while speaking. 

“Yeah, these actually mean ‘Love at First Sight’,” Jongdae’s face warms and he hopes it’s not as apparent as it feels. “They’re called Gloxinia flowers. You’re probably right about your friend, unless maybe there’s some unresolved feelings there?” He raises his eyebrows questioningly and receives a cackling laugh from Baekhyun. 

“No, trust me. Kyungsoo is very much straight. Even if he wasn’t, I think I would be the very last person on his list of dateable men.”

“Ah,” Jongdae breathes. He isn’t sure how to answer without sounding out of line.  _ He  _ thinks Baekhyun looks like an extremely dateable man but he also just met him and thinks maybe he needs to start thinking with his head instead of other things…

“I’m a tattoo artist,” Baekhyun interrupts the stilted silence. “If it wasn’t obvious yet, but you should stop by and uh, check out the shop. I might be interested in some flowers to lighten up the place and could use some expert advice.” 

“Yeah, let me give you my phone number and you can give me the address? Or I can look it up if you want?” Jongdae questions and Baekhyun nods eagerly - puppy like - and glances around, patting down his pockets. 

“Let me get my phone, it’s in the apartment.” The redhead disappears for a minute and Jongdae hears a couple of thumping sounds from inside the apartment and a muffled “Shit,” followed by a thud and he suppresses a laugh behind his hand. Baekhyun reappears and holds out his phone, “Here, put your number in and I’ll text you.”

After programming his contact information in, Jongdae hands back the phone and then holds out his hand. “I just realized I never introduced myself. I’m Jongdae by the way but you’ll see that in your phone.” Baekhyun takes his hand with a smile. 

“Well, Jongdae, here’s to new friends.” Baekhyun’s hand is warm in his, elegant fingers seeming to fit in his perfectly, or maybe that’s his overly romantic brain thinking too hard. “Thank you again. I hope to see you tomorrow.” It’s not a question but Jongdae can tell that he’s leaving room for Jongdae to disagree but instead he grins. “Tomorrow.”

When Jongdae steps back into his apartment he’s greeted by his cats intertwining themselves between his legs and nearly causing him to stumble. He leans down to pick them both up, one in each arm, and carries them into the small kitchen. “You guys are so evil when you’re hungry. Nearly making me fall to my death, who would feed you then huh?” He berates them and Tan meows at him in what he assumes is an annoyed tone for a cat and he frowns then realizes he’s talking to his cats again like they’re humans and his frown deepens. 

After the cats are fed, Jongdae goes about his normal nightly routine. Cleaning the cat boxes, showering, eating and then checking his phone in bed. Since he owns the flower shop, he only has one day off a week. On that day off his brother Jongin closes with Junmyeon. They’re the only other employees and Jongdae usually relies on Junmyeon to message him on Sundays, letting him know if the close was successful and if there were any problems. 

Tonight when he checks his phone, he sees the messages from Junmyeon and then underneath them, a new message from Baekhyun. 

_ ‘hey! it’s baek! my shop is called City Lights Ink. super excited for you to stop in ^^’ _

Jongdae’s heart thumps at the message, feeling oddly giddy and messages back. 

_ ‘looking forward to it ><’ _

He goes to sleep thinking of all the different types of flowers he could suggest and he hasn’t even seen the place yet. Jongdae thinks his heart feels a bit lighter than before but maybe it’s just his over-optimistic side getting ahead of him. He decides to ignore the pessimistic side that disagrees. 

- ❀-

Jongdae doesn’t know the right etiquette for tattoo shops.  _ Should he have dressed differently? _ He stares down and his pink and white striped sweater and jeans and then at the neon lights of the shop sign in the window. It’s an unassuming place, nothing stands out about the shop besides it being on the corner of the street. 

He also feels a little bad because he can’t stay for too long on account of having to go into work. He had called his brother and asked if he could open for the day and Jongin had tried to bombard him with questions before he managed to end the call. 

The door swings open just as Jongdae reaches for it and a man with a shaved head nearly slams into him and they both laugh a little before straightening out. 

“Sorry!” Jongdae apologizes and the other man holds the door open for him, arm flourishing to let him walk past. He mumbles something unintelligible under his breath where Jongdae can only make out the words, ‘Baekhyun’ and ‘bastard’ and gives Jongdae one last clipped smile before they trade places with Jongdae inside the shop and the other man walking away. 

“Oh! You actually did come,” Baekhyun’s voice interrupts the sound of machines buzzing and some Japanese rock playing over the speakers. Jongdae searches the little shop for the source of the voice and finds the redhead seated at what Jongdae can assume is a tattooing station. He’s sketching something and has a colored pencil tucked behind each ear. It’s oddly endearing and Jongdae finds himself heading over to greet him. 

He tilts his head to the side when Baekhyun pulls back from a little side hug. “What do you mean by that? Did you think I wouldn’t?”

Baekhyun scratches his neck, looking anywhere but Jongdae’s face and Jongdae takes the short minute to meet the eyes of the other redhead seated in the other station behind Baekhyun. The other guy is significantly taller than both of them - that Jongdae can tell even though the man is sitting bent over a customer getting a back tattoo. 

“Well, I don’t know. We did just meet yesterday, I could’ve been a crazy person,” Baekhyun finally admits and Jongdae punches his arm lightly. 

“Pfft, such little faith in me,” Jongdae laments. “How will our friendship ever blossom?” 

Now it’s Baekhyun’s turn to roll his eyes and he slaps a palm on his forehead. “Please tell me your vocabulary consists of things besides floral puns…”

“ _ Lilac _ the ability to use anything else besides flower puns. I’m disappointed you expected more from me,” Jongdae clutches his heart, feeling oddly at ease now despite his initial discomfort at the thought of being inside an actual tattoo parlor. Though he does suppose he looks a bit more vanilla compared to everyone surrounding him. “So uh,” he clasps his hands together in front of him, fabric from his sweater making a soft sound when his hands clap. “You wanted to show me around?”

“Oh yeah!” Baekhyun seems to remember and one of the pencils falls from behind his ear. He turns around and points at the other tattooist Jongdae noticed a minute ago. “That’s Chanyeol. Sadly he is my other best friend and I am stuck with him because he’s also the best tattooist I know.”

Chanyeol grins, all soft and wholesome despite his giant-like appearance. Jongdae wonders how someone with such big hands seems to move them and tattoo with a delicacy that Jongdae could only hope to possess. The tattoo on the man’s back is very intricate and filled with thin lines and Jongdae marvels at the way it looks. 

Baekhyun points around the shop, introducing the other employees. Three piercers, Sooyoung, Yerim and Taemin. He tells Jongdae they’re a small, closer-knit shop so they don’t have a lot of employees and they’ve all been friends for quite some time. 

“We don’t need an entire flower shop in here but I feel like some decoration would be nice,” Baekhyun explains and leans back on their front desk counter. Jongdae joins him and glances around, trying to picture all the different places and different plants he could include. 

“I have a few ideas already, but I would have to order them in since I don’t have them at my shop,” Jongdae explains and Baekhyun’s eyes widen. “Oh that’s so much work, I couldn’t-” Jongdae cuts him off with a wave of his hand. “It’s fine, consider it my welcoming gift.”

Baekhyun’s head tilts and Jongdae finds the action to be a common occurrence, at least in the extremely short time he’s known the puppy-like man. “Are you sure? It’s not too much trouble?” He also seems to chew on his fingers a lot which probably isn’t the best habit but Jongdae is drawn to the image. He stares for a beat too long then clears his throat, “Really, it’s fine. We’re neighbors now and I hadn’t even given you an ‘apartment warming’ gift yet. So it can be that plus a...friendship bonus? For being friends with a florist? Just let me give you the flowers.” Jongdae stumbles through his words and in his mind he hears Junmyeon giving him a stern ‘talking to’ for being so incoherent and pushy. 

He hears an irritating laugh from behind them and turns to see Taemin sitting  _ on  _ the counter instead of in the chair and Jongdae doesn’t know him at all but he has this urge to call him a punk. Baekhyun beats him to it when he plucks the remaining colored pencil from behind his ear and flicks it at the piercer. It hits him in the head and he scowls at Baekhyun before grabbing the pencil from the floor and heading back into the office looking room but not before he mumbles something Jongdae can’t quite make out. He turns to see if Baekhyun caught it and sees the other man’s red cheeks for a split second before the tattooist manages to cool his features and gives Jongdae a warm smile, “I will gladly take your flowers.”

- ❀-

Jongin’s own scowl matches Taemin’s when Jongdae walks through the glass door of their flower shop. He belatedly thinks maybe they would make good friends and then realizes he doesn’t need two bothersome little brothers and throws the idea out the window. 

“Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” Jongdae coos, stepping behind the counter to ruffle his brother’s carefully styled hair and messing it all up. Jongin slaps his hand away and his pout deepens. 

“I had to deliver  _ all  _ morning while Junmyeon watched the store. That order for the Kim wedding this morning took two trips even with the van!” Jongin’s arms are crossed and he looks every bit the petulant twenty-four year old he is. “I had to wake up at three this morning just to double check everything and you were supposed to be there to help me.” His brother is whining at this point and Jongdae takes pity on him, pulling him into a hug and smoothing back down his hair. 

“I know, I know,” he says, “I actually was meeting with my new neighbor this morning.”

Jongin’s eyebrows dip together then rise to his hairline. “You actually went outside and did something productive? Socialized?”

Jongdae slaps him on the arm and watches triumphantly when his brother rubs the spot pitifully, “I am not as bad as Junmyeon or Jinki when it comes to interacting with people. I’m hurt you think that way.” 

“Jongdae, you have a little journal on your desk here that has different flower puns written down in them. You spend your entire day walking around talking to plants and your cats. You forget your phone exists unless it’s to message me or Junmyeon about the store,” Jongin points out, arms crossed again and Jongdae wants to wipe the smug little look of his face but he knows Jongin is one hundred percent correct. 

“I think you’ve been spending too much time around Myeon,” Jongdae tells him dismissively and heads to the greenhouse out behind the building to check on their different plants. 

He makes his round through all the different potted plants and then some of their more wild growing vines and small trees. It’s a pretty big greenhouse but Jongdae can attribute that to the fact that they’re one of the more successful florists in the area. Many wedding planners go to them so they mainly focus on flowers but Jongdae has a sweet spot for cacti and fruit growing plants. There’s a small space off in the corner which is used as a personal garden. They grow various herbs, fruits and vegetables in it and whenever it comes time to harvest them, he, Jongin and Junmyeon all sit down and have a meal using whatever they grew. 

Things have been like this for years, since Jongdae graduated high school. His and Jongin’s parents had left them the flower shop, aptly named  _ ‘April, and a Flower’.  _ Unfortunately their parents had passed quite early due to health issues but he and Jongin had always been close and had decided to stick together and keep the family business. 

“Whispering to the bird of paradise again? You know they don’t spill their secrets so easily,” Junmeyon’s voice interrupts Jongdae’s thoughts and he spins around to greet his friend and coworker. They had become friends through… interesting means but all of that remains in the past. 

Today Junmyeon’s tan bucket hat nearly covers his entire face but Jongdae sees his smile peeking out and matches it with one of his own. “Have a good lunch I’m guessing?”

Junmyeon slumps forward, resting his chin on Jongdae’s shoulders and staring at the plant in front of him. It’s orange petals dripping with the water Jongdae had just sprayed on them. “I ate some of the kimchi we made last week and took a nap so...about as good as it gets,” Junmyeon mumbles next to his ear. Jongdae hears the yawn next and pushes his friends head off his shoulder. 

Turning to face Junmyeon he tells him, “It’s funny how I remember telling you to tell me if school is kicking your ass again and here you are yawning right in my ear.” 

A sheepish look crosses the part of Junmyeon’s face he can see and Jongdae holds the water sprayer up threateningly. “Go home and get some sleep, I’ll pay you to go to bed. Please just get some rest. You know Jongin can handle himself here. Plus you’re no help when you’re tired.”

Junmyeon holds his hands up apologetically and jumps back when Jongdae squeezes the little sprayer causing a mist to come out. “Okay, okay,” Junmeyon relents. “But I’m still closing this weekend right? Working mid shift on Thursday and Friday?” 

“If you get some sleep, yes,” Jongdae nods, shaking his head in disbelief, “But I don’t wanna see you in here until then. I know you’re older than me but I’m still your boss.” He looks at Junmyeon a little softer then, “And your friend.”

Junmyeon nods then, looking a bit guilty and waves goodbye before heading back inside the shop and hopefully back to his own apartment for some much needed rest. He was a double major and only really worked at the shop because he needed extra money and more friends. 

Jongdae turns back to the plants and finishes watering them when his phone buzzes with a message. He frowns and picks it out of his pocket. No one ever messages him because there’s not many people  _ to message.  _

_ hey thanks again for coming~  _

_ and for the flowers of course _

_ im not sure what they’ll be but i bet they're pretty  _

Jongdae’s lips curl while reading Baekhyun’s messages. The other man has a way of speaking that’s so unlike his appearance it’s amusing. 

_ what if they were cacti? _

_ would you still say that then >< _

_ cacti are neat _

_ i think they would fit in with the atmosphere of the store _

_ but they would suit my friend Soo better haha _

_ hes prickly sometimes _

_ you should get him one then _

_ i have a few if you want to visit? _

_ tomorrow then? ^^ _

_ tomorrow :D _

- ❀-

The next morning as Jongdae steps out of his front door he nearly steps on a lone flower. He picks it up, furrowing his eyebrows and glances down both sides of the hallway to see if anyone had dropped it. 

It’s a daffodil - symbolizing new beginnings - and he runs a finger along the white petals before heading quickly back into his apartment. 

Jongdae grabs a coffee mug that he never uses and fills it with some water to place the single flower in. He knows it won’t last long but it’s pretty and it’s been a while since he’s put flowers in his place. He sets the daffodil on the windowsill in his living room and pulls the curtains open just a bit. 

He realizes then that he was actually on his way to work and he had promised Jongin he wasn’t going to be late this time. Jongdae rushes out as quickly as possible hoping to catch one of the busses that often leave just as he steps outside. 

Between the bus stop and his flower shop resides a coffee shop that he frequents often because in his opinion they make the absolute best coffee. Plus the baker there - Seulgi - always gives him an extra croissant in the mornings and calls him a ‘cutie’. He won't lie, he likes the compliments. 

“Are you getting your usual?” Joohyun questions when Jongdae opens the door with a chime. The shop is called ‘In & Out’ and Jongdae thinks it’s a bit of a lie because he can never be in and out that quickly. Somehow he always ends up staying to talk. 

“You all know me so well, I think I’m becoming too predictable,” he answers at the counter. “But today I need to add something. I’m having a friend visit the shop and I’m not sure what he’ll like…” Joohyun gives him a thoughtful look while ringing up his regular order. 

“Does your friend seem the type to like coffee or something not so strong?” 

Jongdae is at a loss for words. He doesn’t  _ know  _ Baekhyun at all really but he thinks about it for a moment. “Actually, can I have a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream? I have a feeling about this.”

Joohyun gives him a little smirk and then rings out the hot chocolate as well. “Interesting,” she mumbles and turns away to make the drinks before Jongdae can question her odd behavior. 

He stands by the counter, opting to lean in silence and watch some customers walk by the glass outside when Wendy taps the counter next to his elbow. Jongdae jolts a little and holds a hand over his heart. 

“Jumpy hmm?” She questions and slides his drinks to him. “Joohyun told me something interesting.” Wendy’s eyes grow playfully thoughtful and Jongdae’s narrow. 

“ _ Oh, did she? _ ” Jongdae says slowly.

She taps the counter once more, looking as if she’s debating on what to say. “We know Jongin, Junmyeon and Jinki’s orders along with yours but this is different. Who’s it for?”

Jongdae’s face warms at having been caught except he doesn’t know why he feels embarrassed. He’s just buying hot chocolate for a… friend. A neighbor. He’s being a good neighbor-friend. That’s all. 

“Baekhyun,” Jongdae answers slowly, hoping his face gives nothing away.  _ Not  _ that there’s anything  _ to  _ give away. “He’s my new neighbor and also coming over this morning to buy a plant for his friend so I figured I’d treat everyone including him so it doesn’t seem too rude. You know, when the others get their drinks and he’s left...drink-less.” It’s a good story and he applauds himself inside his head for coming up with such a quick and believable reason. 

Wendy nods at him slowly, knowingly but Joohyun hip-checks her and smiles over the blonde’s shoulder. “And Wannie here was just deciding on whether she wanted to clean up that spill over by the condiments bar.” Joohyun steps away and squeezes Wendy’s bicep. “So, dearest Wannie, what did you decide? Rather than harassing our customers?” 

Jongdae laughs when Wendy sticks her tongue out at Joohyun and huffs something under her breath before slapping a dishcloth over her shoulder and heading to the condiment bar. 

“Have fun with your new neighbor Jongdae. He’s lucky if he’s going to be next to you,” Joohyun tells him, voice warm. She pats his forearm and passes him his last drink - the hot chocolate - and heads back to her duties. 

-

“Oh thank god you’re here I thought hyung was about to kill me, please save me,” Jongin begs from behind Jongdae where he had conveniently latched himself the moment Jongdae stepped through the doors to the shop. 

He freezes, barely managing to keep hold of the carrier of drinks and Jongin meekly begins to apologize when Jinki rounds the shop corner from the back room with what anyone else would think is a mild expression. Except Jinki is almost always smiling - some might say more than Jongdae himself - so anything less than that means tough times for the person on the receiving end of his look. 

“Morning Dae,” Jinki breaks into a warm grin at the sight of Jongdae then turns to face Jongin who all but disappears behind his back again. “Jongin, care to explain why I’m disappointed right now?” 

Jongdae feels Jongin’s head shake out a ‘no’ on his back. “He says no,” Jongdae translates, which gains a slight upward twitch of Jinki’s lips. 

“Sweet little Jonginnie here, thought it would be an amazing idea to haul in the fertilizer himself this morning from the delivery and managed to trip into the already stacked pile of fertilizer bags,” Jinki begins and Jongdae doesn’t quite like where this is going. “Want to guess what happened next?”

“Not really.” Jongdae internally groans. “How many bags broke open?”

“All but one. The tomatoes are crushed as well, since they’re next to the pile,” his coworker finishes and Jongdae feels Jongin shrink further behind him when he lets out a long-suffering sigh. 

“Jongin, I’m not angry.” Jongdae turns around and sets the drinks on the front counter. “You had good intentions,” he ruffles Jongin’s hair, “But how many times have I told you not to try bringing in the delivery yourself? Those bags are heavy and not meant for one person to carry.”

Jongin won’t meet Jongdae’s eyes. His brother has always been so difficult on himself, even when they were kids Jongin always wanted to do the most. Be the best. He never wanted anyone’s help but was always the first to lend a hand. A too tender heart. 

Jongdae places his hands on his brothers shoulders and squeezes them gently, “Thank you for trying,” he smiles, “But that doesn’t get you out of helping clean up. Let’s go. We’ve got a guest coming soon and I can’t let him see all of this.”

It doesn’t take them very long, though by the end of everything they’re all covered in fertilizer and sweating a bit. He forgets completely about their drinks and the fact that Baekhyun was supposed to visit until there’s a hesitant knock sounding behind them. 

The trio turn around to face Baekhyun who somehow manages to look flustered, yet like he belongs there. When Jongdae waves, the smile on his new friend’s face outshines the sun. “Sorry to come all the way back here, I came in up front but no one was there and I saw a dirt trail so I figured…” the redhead trails off and closes the distance between them all to stand in front of Jongin and Jinki. “I’m Baekhyun by the way,” he holds out a hand for the other pair to shake and they give him warm smiles in return. “I’m also Jongdae’s new neighbor-friend.”

The others introduce themselves and it’s silent for a moment, the four of them staring at each other but then a voice calls from the front of the shop asking if anyone is there and Jinki and Jongin hastily make their way to the front. 

Jongdae stares after the two before noticing Baekhyun in his line of vision and shaking his head to remember the entire reason the other man is here in the first place. “I guess I owe you a tour of the place then huh?” 

Baekhyun laughs, “Yeah, but you have a little bit of dirt right-” he reaches long, delicate fingers up to brush off Jongdae’s temple, “-here.” Jongdae freezes, only for a short moment but it’s enough to catch Baekhyun’s attention who gives a mildly embarrassed smile and retracts his hand. “Anyways, yes!” He smiles brightly, clasps his hands together, “Your shop, lets see it.” Neither of them comment on the slight redness high on Baekhyun’s cheeks - even if Jongdae wants to point out that it almost matches his hair.

He shows Baekhyun around, pointing out their own little garden and somehow gets roped into inviting Baekhyun over to his apartment for a dinner when some of their vegetables have come to fruition. There’s not much to show Baekhyun, but he stops and stands in front of a few flowers, reading the descriptions on the cards in front of them. Jongdae had taken it upon himself to figure out the meanings of all the flowers in his shop and any that they could order in case a customer wanted to learn the art of flower language. Jongdae doesn’t pay attention to any Baekhyun stops at, figuring the man hasn’t memorized the meanings despite knowing there  _ is  _ a ‘flower language’. 

They make their way back to the front where Jongin and Jinki are conveniently absent from - which has Jongdae narrowing his eyes in suspicion - and Baekhyun notices the drink carrier resting on the counter. 

“Ah, were these supposed to be for us?” He asks, picking up the cold hot chocolate and sadly setting it back on the counter. 

Jongdae nearly smacks his head. “Yes, I stopped by my favorite place to get us all something since you were coming so far out of your way but we had the incident with the fertilizer bags this morning and-”

“It’s fine,” Baekhyun interrupts, consoling him with a gentle hand on his forearm. Jongdae looks up to meet the redhead’s eyes and sees him wink. “You’ll just have to take me another time then huh?” He laughs, probably at Jongdae’s reddening cheeks and Jongdae laughs in hopes to dispel that same redness. 

“I think we can work something out,” Jongdae agrees, glancing away and leaning back against the counter. 

Silence hits them but only for a moment before Baekhyun’s phone vibrates and he gives Jongdae an apologetic look before answering the call. While he’s turned away, Jongdae takes this moment to admire the other’s features. The phoenix on his neck peeks out from under the collar of his shirt and something curls in Jongdae’s stomach. He stares at the nape of Baekhyun’s neck and wonders if it’s strange to be attracted to a neck. His brain tells his eyes not to wander further but he can’t quite help it, very obviously looking Baekhyun up and down, actually taking in all the man’s features. From his broad shoulders and wide hips, Jongdae can’t help but to feel something small start burning in his heart. Then he realizes how creepy he looks, staring someone up and down while they’re just trying to talk on the phone and he spins around, only to be met with curious gazes from his brother and coworker hiding in the doorway to the back room. 

It’s a bit comedic, how wide their eyes are and probably how wide his are as well and Jongdae is stuck between turning around to embarrassingly face Baekhyun again or to wordlessly explain to the other duo that they didn’t just catch him in the act of checking someone out  _ and  _ the need for them to keep their mouths shut. 

Jongdae is left leaning against the counter, very pointedly focused on the Peonies that mock him. 

“Ah, that was Chanyeol, they actually needed me at the shop around five minutes ago,” Baekhyun explains, scratching the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “I really appreciate you letting me come today and I wish I could’ve stayed longer and gotten that cactus but we can just do that next time.” He smiles and steps towards the door. “I’ll message you tonight and we can work something out?” 

Jongdae nods, “Go, do your tattooing thing.” He motions for Baekhyun to hurry out the door and waves him goodbye until the redhead trips from trying to walk backwards and eventually has to run to catch the bus. 

The moment the door shuts he spins around, ready for the oncoming nuisances that are his brother and coworker, only to find them for the second time today, suspiciously absent. Jongdae frowns and tries not to think about it as he tosses the drinks into the trash bin. 

A customer walks in asking for a personal bouquet for her husband and Jongdae’s confusion is pushed to the back of his mind as he greets her and sets on the new task at hand. 

- ❀-   


Baekhyun had, in fact, messaged Jongdae and the pair had been back and forth meeting at each other’s workplaces over the course of a couple weeks. 

Jongdae has already quickly grown accustomed to Baekhyun’s over the top, puppy-like personality and it’s even rubbed off on him. He finds himself laughing louder, and going out of his way to send more memes to Jongin who only complains. 

On top of meeting with Baekhyun every day, a flower rests in front of his doorstep every morning without fail. Each morning Jongdae wakes, he finds himself now looking for the flower so he can add it to his growing collection of dried ones hanging by the window. 

Out of all that he’s received over the three weeks, his favorites have been the tiny bundle of Iris flowers, a Daffodil and the single white Camellia. The last one being the sweetest simply because of its meaning, even though it had made him blush when he picked it up. He couldn’t believe that whoever had been dropping these off had found him adorable. 

This morning, Jongdae hadn’t woken early - it was his day off and he was going to spend it sleeping in and then heading over to Baekhyun’s for an all day movie marathon. The other had let it slip that he’d never seen any of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and Jongdae had promised that when their days off lined up, they would watch them. 

It’s around noon when he finally wakes, only because Min and Tan are pawing at his chest, demanding looks on their feline faces. 

“Yes, I’ll feed you, give me a moment to remember how to exist,” he tells Min who only stares at him in what he would assume is an angry way but Jongdae tries not to think about the amount of time he spends deciphering his cat’s different looks. 

He rolls over to check his phone and finds a barrage of messages from Baekhyun, mostly about his previous day of work and all of his different sketches. Jongdae thinks it’s adorable, just how excited the other gets considering how scary he looks to some people. From first glance, Baekhyun looks to be a typical punk. Colored hair, tattoos, piercings, dark clothing. But Jongdae has noticed his friend is genuinely the softest person he’s ever met, and he’s friends with Jinki. It’s tough competition, but Jongdae thinks Baekhyun’s puppy eyes rival everyone.

Today he sends a picture of a corgi turned into a sushi roll he sketched out with about twenty emojis and Jongdae’s heart keens. He’s already got it bad - especially if the follow up messages from his brother and Jinki are anything to go by. All those weeks ago, he had been right to be suspicious of the pair's absence. They’d definitely seen everything go down and haven’t let it go since. Always teasing Jongdae about his too obvious crush on the tattoo artist. Asking if he’s ever going to ‘finally make a move on the hot neighbor’. Jongin has even gone so far as to joke about it in front of Baekhyun one morning when they had all met on their way out the door. 

Jongdae sends heart stickers in reply to Baekhyun’s drawings, then ignores his brother’s messages about his ‘date that is not a date’ tonight. It’s not a date. He and Baekhyun haven’t even known each other for that long. Plus, he has the flower leaving stranger to worry about. 

A few moments later, Jongdae finds himself feeding his cats and staring at his wall of drying flowers as he makes coffee (and a hot chocolate for Baekhyun since the other isn’t the biggest fan of coffee). He finishes the drinks up and gives himself a once-over. Jongdae figured there was no point in dressing up considering he was headed just across the hall and the only thing they were going to do was watch movies all day. His track pants and hoodie should be good enough. 

He opens the door, mugs in hand when he realizes he hasn’t grabbed the flower yet. The door across the hall opens up the moment Jongdae reaches down to pick up the flower. This time it’s a single Jonquil, symbolizing desired affection and Jongdae can’t help but to blush. He meets Baekhyun’s eyes only for the redness on his face to deepen. For some reason, having Baekhyun watch him receive his daily flower pulls at his insides. He’s not sure how he feels. Something in the back of his mind reminds him that it’s disappointment. Disappointment and guilt. There’s someone out there who finds Jongdae adorable and spends their time dropping off flowers to him every morning, and here he is, falling for his puppy-like neighbor. 

“Uh,” he says, holding the flower close to his chest, “Sorry, this is just uh- I dropped it.” Jongdae finds he’s most eloquent around Baekhyun. 

“It’s alright, I was just checking in, uh-” Baekhyun also seems to be at a loss for words and they stare at each other for a short moment before Jongdae breaks the silence. “I’m gonna just set this back inside and I’ll be right over. I made you this hot chocolate by the way.” He offers the mug up to the redhead who graciously accepts it with a little dip of his head and a warm smile. 

“Thanks, I’ll uh, see you in a second,” Baekhyun mumbles and Jongdae laughs, nodding to himself and to the other before heading back into his apartment, heart beating too fast and cheeks feeling too warm. All this just from a silly hallway meeting and somehow, they’re supposed to spend the whole day together on Baekhyun’s couch? Jongdae sucks in a deep breath and grabs another piece of tape to hang the Jonquil up along with the others and he smiles wistfully at the wall of flowers. His heart pangs again with that same sense of guilt but he quashes it, not letting the feeling get in the way of his day with his friend. 

Moments later finds Jongdae sitting on Baekhyun’s couch, coffee in hand and snacks laid out before them with the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie starting. They’re sitting so close their thighs touch and Jongdae knows there’s reason to be sitting like this when the entire couch exists but if Baekhyun wants to pretend personal space doesn’t exist, well, Jongdae won’t argue with that. 

Baekhyun for the most part, dutifully pays attention and asks Jongdae a few questions when he doesn’t understand what is happening and by the third movie he is completely invested in Elizabeth Swan. He’s also moved to leaning his head against Jongdae’s shoulder which he’s sure isn’t comfortable. Jongdae knows his shoulder is too bony but Baekhyun’s head lies there like it’s the most expensive pillow in the world. Even going so far as to bring his other arm and wrap it around Jongdae’s midsection. He knows this is crossing that vague line that separates friendship from something else but if Baekhyun isn’t going to comment on it, neither will he. 

They’re nearing one in the morning by the time all the movies have finished and Jongdae can barely keep his eyes open. Baekhyun had fallen asleep during the middle of the last movie, head now completely in Jongdae’s lap and he hadn’t the heart to wake his friend up. 

The credits begin to roll and Jongdae stares down at Baekhyun’s sleeping face. It’s then that he decides to let himself fall for Baekhyun despite the mysterious flower giver. He can’t leave his heart open for something that might not even happen, when he has someone so wonderful in his lap. Slowly, he reaches a hand out to brush back Baekhyun’s bangs just once before he closes his own eyes to sleep. 

-

That next morning after bidding Baekhyun a thank you for letting him spend the night, his doorstep is empty. Jongdae wonders if somehow, the mysterious flower giver could hear his own thoughts. He tries not to let his disappointment show in case they’re watching him and he heads back into his apartment, hoping a day at his shop will help him forget. 

- ❀-

Except, the flowers didn’t stop. Jongdae had wondered if maybe it was just a fluke. Of course, everyone had lives, it’s not like the person could get to his apartment every day. Now the flower's meanings have all changed. Most of them along the lines of ‘confessions of love’ to ‘you’ve made my life complete’ - gone are the innocent ones such as Orange Blossoms and Daisies. Jongdae wonders what brought upon the change. He’d even asked Jinki about it but the other was oddly tight lipped about the entire situation, telling Jongdae he should wake up earlier. 

Baekhyun messages Jongdae daily, even going so far as to showing up at the shop to bring him coffee from his favorite cafe after Jongdae had only mentioned it in passing. Every day, the redhead gives Jongdae another reason to fall deeper for him and he’s beginning to wonder why he’s holding back. 

He knows why. 

Maybe he’ll take Jinki’s advice. Wake up earlier and see who this person is, confront them and ask what their real intentions are so he can get over them and let himself be with Baekhyun. But first, he had to worry about the upcoming holidays. Christmas was just next week - one of his busiest holidays at the shop - and then New Years. This year, the party for his friend group was at his apartment and he had absolutely nothing decorated. 

He thinks vaguely about how long he’s known Baekhyun now and forms a small plan on how exactly he’s finally going to ‘man up’ and ask his friend out. He’d even gone so far as to ask his brother for advice, though the other had given him the same treatment as Jinki. It’s like the pair of them were hiding something from him. Unfortunately for him, he had to pretend he wasn’t helplessly pining over Baekhyun for almost two weeks. New Year’s day would be the day. Call him cliche but he’d watched enough rom coms with Baekhyun that he knew the other probably wouldn’t mind. 

Days at the shop seemed to fly by with all the orders they’d receive and not even Baekhyun’s visits with coffee and merely his presence seemed to help. Though today, a break in customers finally occurred, giving Jongdae enough time to sit back in the office and take a small nap. The holidays were always so rough. 

He’s halfway asleep when a knock sounds at the door and he swivels around in the chair to see Baekhyun standing with a clove of garlic in his hand and an almost embarrassed grin on his face. He waves upon entering and leans up against the desk, proffering the garlic. 

“Here, it’s supposed to give you strength,” he explains and Jongdae accepts it carefully, still giving his friend and the food a weary eye. Baekhyun flounders for a moment when Jongdae can’t quite come up with an appropriate response for receiving a garlic clove. “I know you’ve been having a difficult time because of Christmas sales and all, so I asked your coworkers what would be a good gift to give you and they explained to me that garlic is supposed to mean ‘Strength’. So I’m ‘giving you strength’ to make it through all the entitled customers,” he further adds and waves a hand through the air as if it’s not a big deal. Except Jongdae truly feels like a towel, wrung through just a few too many times and something lurches in his chest and before he knows it, he’s reaching his hands around Baekhyun’s neck and tugging him into a forceful hug. 

His friend makes a small noise of surprise but eventually his arms come up to wrap around Jongdae as well, fingers carding through the hairs at the back of his head. “If I had known this is what I was gonna get for bringing you some garlic, I would’ve done it ages ago,” Baekhyun says and Jongdae pinches his side without pulling away from the hug. 

“You dork,” he mumbles into Baekhyun’s shoulder. “I really appreciate this, even if it is a little silly. It means a lot.” 

It’s quiet then, the only sounds being Jinki and Jongin bustling around in the lobby probably cleaning up - that and Jongdae’s heartbeat rushing through his ears. He’s struck then, with a nervousness he hasn’t had in a while around Baekhyun. He knows the other can probably feel his pounding heart pressing against his, considering they’re still hugging. 

He pulls back then, avoiding Baekhyun’s eyes. Plays with the clove of garlic. “You’re coming to my New Years party right?” He asks and sets the garlic aside. 

He’s sure Baekhyun is looking at him but Jongdae refuses to meet the other’s eyes, afraid that he’s given himself away already. “Duh, if you’re going to be there so am I. I even have a gift for you since I’ll be with my parents for Christmas.” 

This time Jongdae looks up because he hadn’t gotten Baekhyun anything for Christmas. Hadn’t even thought about it. “You got me a gift?” 

Baekhyun smiles, something hidden behind his eyes, but his typical teasing smirk is there as well. “Of course I did, but it’s a secret. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get me anything either because I know that’s what you’re thinking about right now. I have a feeling my present will be enough for both of us.”    
  
Jongdae narrows his eyes, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

His friend only laughs and pats his head. “I think that’s Chanyeol, calling me to say they need me at the shop. I’ll see you on New Years, yeah?” He heads out the door just as quickly as he came in and Jongdae is left, still sitting in wonder. He’s still getting Baekhyun a gift. He’d be an idiot not to. 

- ❀-

Leading up to New Years, Jongdae receives no flowers in front of his door. Something scratches at the back of his mind when he wakes up on New Year’s Eve and an empty doorstep greets him. It’s like his brain is trying to tell him something but he’s missing parts of the story. He frowns and continues to prepare for the party. 

The shop is closed for two days, and apparently so is City Lights. Baekhyun had messaged him upon landing to ask if some of the employees could come to the party as well and Jongdae had told him the more the merrier. He was beyond excited - his plan to finally confess to Baekhyun had been perfectly laid out. Everything was running smoothly, despite Jongin almost setting the apartment on fire while trying to cook. 

Jongdae’s friends began to arrive around eight at night, along with some of the employees at City Lights who Jongdae had grown to be quite fond of. He knew Chanyeol best and was eagerly waiting for him as he was the one picking Baekhyun up from the airport. 

Min and Tan were accepting every ounce of love and attention they received from all the guests in Jongdae’s tiny apartment. Sooyoung and Yerim seemed to be the chosen ones, their laps now filled with cat, though they don’t seem to mind as they happily chat away with Jinki and Junmyeon. 

The television plays in the background with the typical New Year’s Eve performances and Jongdae tries not to think about the clock ticking down without Baekhyun. He stares at the lone red Chrysanthemum in the vase in his kitchen that he had grabbed from the shop yesterday. 

A knock at the door breaks him from his thoughts and he clutches his glass of champagne close before heading to open it. At first he’s greeted with a hug from Chanyeol which isn’t quite expected but he knows the man tends to be overly affectionate and laughs it off even if he almost spills his drink. When the giant pulls back and steps out of the way to reveal Baekhyun, Jongdae’s heart stutters to a stop. The redhead has just been on a plane for almost half a day and yet somehow manages to make Jongdae weak in the knees. He’s only wearing a normal outfit of jeans, a t-shirt and jean jacket but Jongdae might as well be on fire. 

“Jongdae,” Baekhyun breathes out at the same time he says Baekhyun’s name. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until Baekhyun pulls him in for a tight hug that sends him reeling. It was odd, just how quickly Jongdae had gotten used to having Baekhyun around. Having him right across the hall, in his apartment, in his shop, in his life. It’s not like they’d really been apart for long but waking up to a phone with no messages and no coffee in the morning had thrown him off. He hadn’t realized just how much Baekhyun there was in everything he did. 

It’s only when they pull back from each other that Jongdae glances around and sees their friends all staring and Jongdae’s cheeks are aflame. 

“Uh, I actually need to grab something. It’s in my apartment. Just uh, meet me in the hallway,” Baekhyun explains, face oddly red too and Jongdae glances over to see the clock on the TV counting down from thirty and his heart jumps to his throat but he nods at Baekhyun regardless. 

Baekhyun hurries out the door and Jongdae grabs the flower vase. He sucks in a deep breath and tells himself it’ll all be fine. He ignores the looks from his brother and Jinki and steps outside of his door at the same time Baekhyun is shutting his. 

Jongdae’s heart echoes in the silence of the hallway when he glances to Baekhyun’s hand to see a red Chrysanthemum matching his own. His eyes fly up to meet Baekhyun’s who, for once, looks like he doesn’t have everything put together but then the redhead shakes his head, smiling fondly at something Jongdae doesn’t understand. He steps forward and kneels down to place the flower in front of Jongdae, right where he finds the flowers every morning- 

“You,” Jongdae chokes out and everything clicks. The first flower. All the flowers leading up to this. The first time they hung out and the flower that followed. All the times he had ranted to Baekhyun about a rough day at work and the Lavender that followed. Every single flower, chosen carefully by the man now standing in front of him. 

“Yeah me,” Baekhyun laughs quietly and opens his arms in a ‘you got me’ way. Despite all this, his eyes still flash with a vulnerability Jongdae wishes would go away. He remembers his plan as well and holds out the matching flower. 

“I was going to go and give you a long winded speech full of my flower puns you’re so fond of and explain the meaning behind this but it would seem you already know a bit too much about flowers,” Jongdae explains and Baekhyun takes the flower from him with a smile that could probably rival all the universe’s stars. He brings it up to his nose, inhaling gently and Jongdae watches as the redhead’s eyelashes flutter. They match the beating of Jongdae’s chest. 

“Your brother and Jinki have been a lot of help with that actually,” Baekhyun admits and sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. Jongdae rolls his eyes because of course that’s why the pair had been acting so off when Jongdae brought up Baekhyun. They knew the whole time. “Yes, they did,” Baekhyun says and Jongdae realizes he’s been mumbling out loud. His face warms and he glances up to say something but Baekhyun is much closer than before and cheers ring out from inside the apartment behind them. Must be New Years. 

Baekhyun laughs, and this time it’s pointed towards Jongdae but it’s soft and endearing and everything Jongdae could’ve asked for. “As much as I enjoy seeing you talk to yourself, I kind of want to kiss you right now.” He tilts his head and Jongdae’s brain takes a minute to catch up. New Years. People kiss on New Years. Baekhyun wants to kiss him on New Years. 

“Yeah, okay yeah,” Jongdae mumbles, not sure what he’s saying at this point, “I wanna kiss you too.”

Baekhyun knocks their foreheads together gently, “You’re such a dork,” he mutters fondly then presses their lips together just once. Jongdae thinks it’s funny and cliche considering the literal fireworks that light up the sky around them but the only ones he cares about are the ones that happen when Baekhyun pulls back just so he can kiss him again. And again. And again. 

- ❀-

A year later Jongdae is grabbing the last box from Baekhyun’s apartment and heading across the hall with it when he nearly steps on something. He steps around it to set the box in his apartment, then turns back around to see the purple flower lying on the ground. It’s dried and flattened, a few petals having fallen off but when Jongdae picks it up, he’s met with the sight of Baekhyun standing in front of the closed door of his previous apartment holding the key. 

“I’m so glad Kyungsoo got me those flowers,” Baekhyun laughs and tugs Jongdae close to him just so he can press a kiss against his temple. 

“You never did get around to sending him that cactus, did you?” Jongdae questions and they step into  _ their  _ apartment. 

Baekhyun pulls the dried flower from Baekhyun’s hand and heads over to Jongdae’s wall of flowers to hang it up. He places it as high up as he can reach, almost centered above the window, then turns around with a wink, “Nah, but I do have a beautiful florist boyfriend who can help me find the perfect one.” 

-

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i used [this website](https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/flowers/flowers.html) to look up the different definitions of flowers :') 
> 
> i look forward to any comments ^^


End file.
